Chapter Text
Danny started his new haunt by recognizing that the manor was now his to patrol and protect. He also realized he already claimed Damian into his new haunt but none of his other family members.
Danny looked at all his family and counted them: Bruce, Jason, Dick, Cass, Tim, Alfred, Duke, and maybe Steph? Steph didn't seem to be connected to the family as much as the others. Still that was seven or eight family members he has still yet to get to know and claim into his haunt.
Danny then looked at the manor around him and realized the manor would take a while to take claim over as well.
He really had his work cut out for him. Well, no time like the present!
Danny jumped from Damian's arms and started claiming all the offerings his new family gave him. A large fraction of them were cat toys but they were offered to him specifically.
Danny knew Damian explained what every item was already but he has a poor short term memory and started by scenting every offering.
"Do you want us to bring your stuff to your nook?" Dick asked and Danny perked up.
A nook? He completely forgot about that!
Danny nodded and went over to the box Jason gave him and tried moving that first.
"Wanna hand?" Jason asked picking up the box and Danny meowed at him, nodding and reluctantly accepting his help.
Soon his family was bringing all his new stuff over to a little nook they made for him and Danny's core hummed in happiness.
A place just for him. A room he could have just to himself.
Danny immediately started going over every inch of his new nook and making it his own.
Danny then noticed out of the gifts he got one was different from the rest. Danny examined it and realized it was a litter box.
A litter box.
Danny frowned at the box and hissed at it then glared at his family wanting answers.
"You're a cat! I'm sorry!" Dick apologized sadly. Danny hissed at him.
"I know, you're a ghost and used to be human but you're a cat right now and it is a really fancy litterbox that cleans itself and I even got you the best litter there was." Dick tried explaining himself and Danny sighed looking at Dick in dissapointment.
"You don't have to use it, I just thought you could if you really needed to or something." Dick was blushing now bowing his head in embarrassment. Danny meowed in acceptance and somewhat reluctantly claimed the litter box as well.
It wasn't like he was ever going to use it or would need to but it was still a gift and a thought out one at that.
When Danny was done claiming all the things in his nook and the nook itself he saw Dick on the ground with his head buried in his hands as his siblings stood around him teasing him. Danny chuffed and went over to him climbing up onto his shoulder then headbutting him.
"He seems to forgive you Richard." Damian said silencing his siblings jeers.
"You really forgive me for giving you that?" Dick asked looking at him in embarrassment. Danny headbutted him again purring. Dick chuckled petting him happily. Danny touched foreheads with him, practically having to climb up onto his face to do so and happily claimed Dick into his new haunt.
"Thanks for forgiving me Phantom." Dick said gratefully smiling at him happily as Danny returned to his shoulder.
"Do you want to stay with me for patrol?" Dick asked as Danny didn't leave his shoulder yet.
Danny immediately looked towards Damian and saw him looking sad and worried. Danny climbed down Dick and went to Damian. Damian picked him up and smiled.
"Tt. It seems Phantom wants to stay with me." Damian said happily.
"One day I'm going to win him over." Dick said as Damian let Danny perch on his shoulder.
"I highly doubt that." Damian said scratching Danny behind the ears and Danny purred.
If it were anyone else Danny would have scratched their eyes out.
"We'll see." Dick said and stood up.
"What about me? Wanna come with me?" Jason asked him and Danny was almost tempted to but he had to take care of his brother and he knew Nick could help Jason if he really was in trouble. Danny gave a small hiss in response and Jason shrugged.
"Alright maybe next time." Jason said walking away.
"We have to go out on patrol now. Goodbye." Damian said taking Danny down to the batcave and everyone complained but said their goodbyes.
They arrived down at the batcave and Danny saw Bruce working at the Batcomputer. Danny waited for Damian to get close enough then he jumped off his shoulder and landed on Bruce's arm.
"Hello Phantom." Bruce said tensing under Danny. Danny climbed up onto Bruce's shoulder and Bruce was as still as a rock.
This is his father. His real dad.
Danny gently nudged Bruce's cheek with his nose and Bruce somehow got more tense.
How does he explain this? How does he communicate that he just wants his father to love and care about him?
Danny gently nudged him again pleadingly and Bruce slowly turned his head to look at him.
"Do you want something?" Bruce questioned him lightly. Danny slowly pressed his head into Bruce's cheek to try and show he cared and would be there for him.
"What are you doing?" Bruce asked not moving, not understanding. Danny pushed his head into his father's cheek a little harder until he was leaning almost his whole body into Bruce's neck.
Bruce still wasn't moving, not understanding, fearing.
Danny started to panic not wanting Bruce to fear him and tried again this time headbutting him like he did with Dick and Damian.
"Do you want me to pet you?" Bruce asked still confused but at least recognizing the gesture of affection. Danny did it again and again until Bruce slowly but gently pet him, calming him down.
He needs his father to accept him.
Bruce was still as still as a rock but now was gently petting him. Danny could still smell not fear but anxiousness on him and it wasn't good. Danny didn't know how to get Bruce to calm down so he headbutted him again.
"It's okay, I'm here." Bruce said petting him more firmly and Danny relaxed.
"Can I get to work now?" Bruce asked and Danny looked at the screens then hissed.
"Okay, it's okay." Bruce comforted him still petting him. Bruce eventually relaxed and Danny leaned into him more.
"I'm not going to make you leave." Bruce said after a while of thought. Danny purred in relief and climbed up onto Bruce's face to touch foreheads with him to claim him. Bruce didn't move more out of confusion than anything and Danny finally claimed Bruce as his own.
"Can I work now?" Bruce asked and Danny settled on top of Bruce's head purring. Bruce didn't move for a while then went back to work on his computer. Danny watched in intrest then Bruce slowly stood up.
"Uh, could you possibly move... uh to well..." Bruce trailed off as he held his cowl but couldn't put it on because of Danny who was on his head. Danny purred at Bruce's fumbling and hesitation then jumped right on top of the cowl.
"Okay, I guess that works." Bruce said and put on his cowl then walked to the Batmobile getting in with Damian who was already waiting on him. Damian looked at Danny in confusion and Danny meowed at him settling himself on the cowl more securely. Damian tilted his head then suddenly smiled widely.
"Phantom, we need a suit for you." Damian said and Danny purred.
"...okay." Bruce said accepting the fact that he was going to make a suit for a ghost cat.
They went out on patrol together and Danny was there to protect his brother and father all night. They did run into this Scarecrow guy who shot gas at them but Danny wasn't effected by it because he simply stopped breathing. Bruce and Damian had masks so they weren't effected either.
Danny attacked Scarecrow in retaliation anyway because that could have hurt his living breathing family!
"When did you get a cat!?" Scarecrow screamed as Danny dug his tiny claws into Scarecrow's arm and bit down on it.
"I didn't." Bruce said and Danny stopped attacking Scarecrow.
What? Did Bruce not want him?
Scarecrow threw him away and Danny crashed through a wall.
"Phantom!" Bruce yelled after him and Danny growled as he realized he had a lot of rubble on top of him.
"Phantom are you okay?" Bruce worried over him digging him out and lifting him gently. Danny meowed in sadness and fear.
Was Bruce going to kick him out?
"It's okay, I'm here. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let him hurt you like that." Bruce said hugging him close.
Danny quickly realized Bruce was just bantering and meant nothing by it. Danny hissed at himself for being so stupid and insecure.
"It's okay, I'm here. I'm sorry." Bruce apologized and Danny jumped out of his arms going after the Scarecrow.
This is all Scarecrow's fault!
"Phantom?" Bruce asked but Danny ignored him quickly finding the Scarecrow in the darkness and pouncing on him. Danny grabbed Scarecrow by his neck with his little jaws then returned the favor by throwing him at brick wall. The wall didn't crumble but Scarecrow's body made a loud crack as he hit it.
"Phantom what did you do?" Bruce asked in horror as he examined Scarecrow's body.
He wasn't dead just his left leg and arm and hand were broken. His knee cap was also shattered. Danny was very accurate with his throws.
"Phantom, you could of killed him!" Bruce yelled at him furiously and Danny licked his paw.
Yeah, but he didn't.
"Listen here, Phantom." Bruce picked him up by the scruff and Danny meowed in surprise.
"If you're going to join us out on patrols you aren't to do this much damage again. There is an absolute no killing rule that you will follow and you aren't to attack unless absolutely necessary. Do you understand?" Bruce asked him angrily and Danny nodded fearfully. Bruce then held him more gently letting Danny stand on his hand.
"Good, now are you hurt?" Bruce asked him and Danny licked his already healing side. Bruce examined his side and Danny winced meowing shortly as Bruce poked him.
"Is anything broken?" Bruce asked and Danny shook his head. Bruce didn't seem to believe him feeling each of his legs and his sides for damage. Bruce gently checked his spine and the bones in his tail.
"Did you hit your head?" Bruce asked and Danny shook his head but Bruce still checked his head and neck for any injuries.
"Is Phantom okay?" Damian asked as Bruce got to checking Danny's teeth.
"Just brusied. He'll be fine." Bruce said petting him gently once he was done with his check up.
Which Danny thought was totally unnecessary. He was half ghost he would heal eventually.
"I'm never letting this happen again." Bruce said holding Danny close to his chest protectively.
Danny felt a little guilty for not doing this whole fighting crime thing right. Danny sort of forgot that Scarecrow was just a human and much more fragile than a ghost.
Batman called the authorities to take care of Scarecrow and took the blame for Danny's actions.
No one was happy that the Scarecrow was so injured and Bruce was still angry at Danny.
"Stay." Bruce said putting him in the Batmobile. Bruce locked Danny in the Batmobile and didn't let him come out the rest of their patrol. Danny knew the car door couldn't stop him from actually joining back in the fight but he felt bad for what he did to Scarecrow so he stayed and sulked.
He's already in trouble with his real father and all he did was defend himself. He did almost kill the Scarecrow so he did feel a little bad.
Danny rested on the dashboard stewing over how he could have handled Scarecrow better.
Maybe he could have been a little more careful. Scarecrow was just a human after all. An evil human but a human.
He was the Ghost King, if Scarecrow died Danny could probably send him to hell or hell adjacent. Then again should he really be intervening in the affairs of the living. He was half alive and Scarecrow attacked him first! Well, tried to, with gas.
Damian or Bruce probably could have taken care of Scarecrow without his help.
Why didn't Bruce want him attacking anyone? He could help. He could be useful! He could easily catch any of Batman's enemies like mice! Bruce didn't want that though. Why?
Bruce said something about a no killing rule. Does Bruce not want him hurting anyone because he's afraid he'll accidentally kill them? Danny wouldn't kill anyone. He could but he won't.
"Phantom." Bruce's voice made him look up and he saw Bruce sitting in the driver's seat looking at him glumly.
"Were you thinking about what've done?" Bruce asked still sounding mad. Danny nodded guiltily.
"And you do know what you did was wrong correct?" Bruce asked and Danny nodded.
"Good, now from now on you're going to have to be trained before you go out on the field again." Bruce said and Danny hissed at him.
He didn't need to be trained! He's had plenty of training from his time with the League and then with a literal goddess of war after he became the King of the Infinite Realms!
"You almost killed Scarecrow, Phantom. This is not a discussion. You either be trained properly or you are not allowed to go patrolling ever again. You understand?" Bruce asked seriously almost yelling. Danny hissed but nodded.
"When are you ever going to turn back into a human?" Bruce sighed, scooping him up with one hand.
Danny didn't know how to answer that. He didn't know if he could answer that. Bruce already seems to understand that he's not normal and he's dangerous. What would Damian think though? Damian saw what he did. Is Damian scared of him? Bruce is definitely a bit scared of him.
"Hey, it's okay. I won't hurt you." Bruce said petting him comfortingly. Danny felt himself shaking like a leaf and felt bad for worrying his father.
"You almost died. Can ghosts even die again?" Bruce asked and Danny didn't know how to answer that so he just moved his head in a circle.
"Was that a yes or no?" Bruce asked and Danny sighed putting his head down on Bruce's wrist.
"You don't know do you?" Bruce asked and Danny huffed.
He knew, it was just a complicated answer.
"Okay, that's okay. Do you still heal from injuries?" Bruce asked petting him gently and Danny nodded.
"That's good." Bruce said then pet him in silence and Danny could smell the worry coming off of him. Bruce pressed on his injured side a little too hard and Danny flinched hissing at him shortly.
"Sorry, are you sure nothing's broken?" Bruce asked pressing a small bit harder on his side and Danny hissed steadily as he did.
"It's okay, I'm just making sure your bones aren't broken." Bruce said pressing again and Danny hissed in pain but it didn't hurt that badly. Bruce examined his side closely and Danny lashed his tail in anger only hissing when Bruce poked his side, gently feeling his bones.
"It might be fractured. I might have to talk to Constantine about this." Bruce said after a bit and Danny huffed.
Fractured, sure it hurt but fractured! It'll probably be healed by tomorrow night.
"I shouldn't have left you alone so long. The swelling is worse than I thought." Bruce said and Danny sighed.
He's had much worse than a fractured rib to worry about. Why is Bruce so worried?
"Here, don't freak out about this." Bruce said getting an ice cube from somewhere then wrapping it in a towl before gently putting it on Danny's injured side. Danny flinched slightly then felt a bit better, his ice core thrumming at the cold contact.
"There you go, it's going to be okay." Bruce said as Danny started to doze off.
"Just rest, I'll take care of you." Bruce said and Danny fell asleep.